Dump bailer



1961 R. R. LIMBOCKER, JR 3,004,604

DUMP BAILER Filed Dec. 22, 1958 INVENTOR. L RAY R. LIMBOGKER, JR.

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ATTORNEY StatesPatent O Jersey Filed Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 781,958 1Claim. (Cl. 166-169) This invention relates to a device for use in oilor gas wells and more particularly concerns a dump bailer for placing aquantity of a liquid, such as a chemical treating agent, in a well. Inthe production of oil or gas wells, occasions often arise wherein it isdesirable to placeYa quantity of a liquid agent within the well. Manywells are treated periodically with chemical agents in order to inhibitcorrosion of the well tubing. Also, the periodic introduction of liquidagents into wells for the purpose of inhibiting deposition of wax in thetubing or in order to dissolve wax which has previously accumulatedtherein has been practiced extensively. Wells are also treated withother chemical agents such as acids or surfactants as a means ofalleviating some undesirable condition and improving the productionperformance.

The present invention is directed to and provides a dump bailer deviceof relatively simple construction which can be employed in placing aquantity of liquid agent in a well whenever it becomes desirable totreat the well for any of the foregoing or related problems. The device,containing a suitable amount of the treating agent, is adapted to belowered into the well on a wire line and thereafter to release theliquid agent in the well. The device can then be pulled from the Welland can easily be refilled with liquid agent again for a subsequenttreatment of the same or another well.

The invention is more specifically described in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of the dump bailer;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the portion of thedevice which controls the fluid discharge; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, represents an elongated barrel or housingwhich provides a fluid retaining chamber 11 for holding the treatingagent which is to be introduced into a well. A plug 12 is threadedlyattached to the top of barrel 10 and has an opening '13 through which aconventional wire line can be attached. Plug 12 also has ports 14 whichserve to vent chamber 11 so that the treating agent will readily flowout of the bailer when its valve mechanism is open.

Another plug 15, which is threadedly attached to the bottom of barrel10, contains the valve mechanism which controls the flow of treatingagent from the device. Plug 15 has a longitudinal passage -16 whichcommunicates with transverse apertures 17 through which the treatingagent can pass into the well. A rod 18 having a longitudinal channel orbore 19 is positioned in passage 16 and slideably extends through a port9 in the bottom of the plug. A collar 20 atfixed to rod 18 by means of aset screw positions a compression spring 21 which urges rod 18 upwardly.

The valve mechanism in plug 15 includes an O-ring 22 made of sealingmaterial and carried on the upper face of a ring magnet 23 whose sidewalls sealin-gly engage the inner wall of plug 15; magnet 23 is fixed inplace in plug 15, above an internal annular shoulder 25 therein, bymeans of set screws 24. The element 23' has a central bore therein whosediameter is somewhat greater 3,694,604 7 Patented Oct.

than the diameter of rod 18, leaving an annular space 8 between theouter surface of rod 18 and the adjacent surface of element 23. TheO-ring 22 serves as the valve seat for another ring magnet 26 which isfixed to the upper part of rod 18 and functions as a valve plug. Theouter diameter of magnet 26 is somewhat less than the diameter ofchamber 11, leaving an annular space 7 between the outer edge of magnet2-6 and the wall of chamber 1K1. Magnets 23 and 26 have oppositepolarities and sufficient attractive force so that magnet 26 willnormally remain seated in sealing relation on O-ring 22, as shown inFIG. 1, in spite of the upward thrust exerted by spring 21. Thus, whenmagnet 26 is seater, as shown in FIG- URE l, the O-ring 22 provides asealing means or packoff between the exterior of plug 15 and the chamber11. However, after the magnets have been forced apart, spring 21 willhold the valve open, as shown in FIGURE 2. When the valve describedabove (including as its principal parts elements 26, 22, and 23) is inthe FIGURE 2 or open position, it may be seen that fluid can flow fromchamber 11 down through the annular space 7, thence through the spacebetween magnets 26 and 23 (and above O-ring 22), thence through theannular space 8 into passage 16, and thence through apertures 17 intothe well.

At the bottom of rod 18 an enlarged hollow member 27 is secured as shownin FIG. 1. Member 27 is internally threaded to receive a hollow plug 28which has a series of apertures 29 that terminate in ring grooves on theoutside of the plug. O-rings 30 of sealing material positioned in eachgroove function as one-way or check valves through which the treatingagent can be introduced into the device. That is to say, when fluid ispumped into the inside of the hollow plug 28, the O-rings 30 stretchsufficiently to allow fluid to flow from the inside of this plug throughapertures 29 and the ring grooves into member 27 and thence up channel119. However, if fluid tends to flow in the opposite direction, theO-rings 30 are forced inwardly into tight sealing engagement with theirrespective ring grooves, thus preventing fluid flow in this direction.The open end of plug 28 is internally threaded as indicated at 31 forconnecting with a line from a hand pump (not shown) whenever it isdesired to fill the bailer with treating agent.

In using the above-described dump bailer, valve member 26 is forced toclosed position by pulling downwardly on rod 18, and the attractionbetween magnets 23 and 26 holds the valve closed. The fluid retainingchamber 11 is filled by pumping the treating agent through apertures 29in plug 28. This causes O-rings 30 to stretch sufiiciently to allowfluid to flow into member 27 and up channel .19 in rod 18 into the fluidretaining chamber 11. After it is filled, the device is lowered into thewell until member 27 hits the bottom, thus causing an upward push on rod18 and forcing magnet 26 away from the valve seat at O-ring 22.Thereafter spring 21 will hold the valve open, as shown in FIGURE 2.Treating agent then flows downwardly from chamber 11 through the valveinto the longitudinal passage 16 and thence through ports 17 into thewell, in the manner previously described.

It will be apparent that modifications may he made in the device withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. Thus, one or the other of thering magnets can be omitted and a single, stronger magnet can be used.For example, O-ring 22 can be embedded in a circular groove in annularshoulder 25 and magnet 26 can be caused to seat thereon to close thevalve. Also, in case it is desired to dump the treating agent at somepoint above the bottom of the well, the device can be modified toinclude a tripping mechanism such as is described in the US. applicationof William E. Barnes,

7 3 Serial No. 583,967, filed May 10, 1956, now Patent No, 2,896,723,dated July 28, 1959, whereby the control valve can be caused to open byraising the device until the tripping mechanism operates by catching ina collar in the well tubing.

I claim:

A dump bailer for use in oil wells, comprising a hous ing providing afluid retaining chamber; a plug at the bottom of the housing having alongitudinal passage extending therethrough and also having therein anelon gated transverse channel which communicates at one end with saidpassage and at its other end with the exterior of said plug, one end ofsaid passage communicating with said chamber; an annular valve seatformed at said one end of said passage, a slidable member extendingthrough said passage, in spaced relation to said plug, to a point belowthe bottom of said plug, an annular valve plug carried by said memberand forming with said seat a valve means for slosing the bottoms: saidchamber,

said valve means including also an O-ring seal carried: by said seat,said seat and-said valve plug comprising magnets of opposite polarities,which operate by mutual 1 References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,385,760 Swartz July 26, 1921 2,453,068 HaynesNov. 2, 1948 2,598,361 Dach May 27, 1952 2,743,079 Jordan Apr. 24, 1956Barnes 11113728, 1959

